Matchmaker Millennium
by Goddess33
Summary: From ancient times to present day, Bakura follows the one he loves through death and back in hopes of winning his heart.
1. 5,000 years ago

Matchmaker Millennium

Bakura dusted some of the dry desert sand off his dark clothing as he strode into the bar. Anyone watching the fiend carefully would see signs of fatigue under the smudges on his face, his pale hair a little wilder than it normally was, and that he was walking at a little more exhausted gait than normal. But in this den of thieves and criminals, still no one dared mess with Bakura, even if he was on the brink of collapsing.

"Your usual?" asked the bartender as Bakura took a seat at the counter, still absently brushing filth off his clothing.

Bakura nodded in agreement at the offer, neglecting to mention that at the moment, he didn't have the money to pay for the drink he was handed. After a week of unsuccessful targets, as well as an almost run in with the palace guards, Bakura was not only broke, but in desperate need for a drink. He'd have to pull a really major heist soon if he didn't want to just plain starve to death in the sun-scorched streets of Egypt. 

It wasn't as if Bakura and the bartender were exactly friends, they had more of a business arrangement. The bartender told Bakura of any rumors of new tombs of nobles, or fancy trinkets that the temples acquired, and Bakura was kind enough to not kill the man out of plain crankiness. He tended to do that to people sometimes. Especially on his bad days, like this one.

The bartender waited until another customer paid for his drink and moved away, before he leaned in a little toward Bakura to speak in a low whisper.

"You hear the big news yet?" he murmured, a wicked grin crossing over his thick cracked lips. "Heard it from the guards themselves as the passed through here earlier today."

Bakura raised an eyebrow and sipped on his drink. Perhaps things were looking up? A good tomb robbery was just what he needed to make an awful day into something wonderful. "Who died?"

The bartender's ugly grin widened. "The Pharaoh." 

Bakura's eyes suddenly narrowed dangerously, his grip on his cup tightening until his knuckles whitened to bone color. "When?" 

"Earlier today. No one knows exactly how, but as the rumor goes, they've made quick work with loading up the tomb already." It looked like the bartender was having the time of his life sharing this little bit of news to the thief. "If you hurry up there quick, you'll get good pickings." 

Bakura was hardly listening, his skin almost ashen, shaking imperceptivity. With a snarled curse, he slammed the mug back down on the counter and took off running out of the bar.

"Hey!" yelled the bartender from behind him. "You didn't pay! You rotten little-"

His curses quickly faded behind Bakura, his own pounding heartbeat drowning out any other sounds around him. 

***

It was true.

Standing in the entrance of Pharaoh Yami's inner tomb, Bakura still could hardly believe it. His torchlight glittered like molten gold over all the treasures piled up in the little chamber, but Bakura's full attention rested on the centerpiece, the massive and beautiful sarcophagus that sat in the middle of it all. 

Around this, stationed like silent sentinels, were large scale statues of the Pharaoh's most loyal protectors. The Dark Magician's carved face watched Bakura stoically from amid the ranks. Bakura swallowed, wiping one sweaty palm on his tattered pants, finding a place where he could set the torch to light the room. Then he crept forward, his eyes on the guardian statues.

"Be easy, great ones," Bakura murmured, bowing slightly and hoping to appease the shadow realm spirits. "I'm not here to cause harm."

Nothing happened as he passed the silent statues, and he relaxed, figuring if he hadn't been struck dead by this point, then he wasn't going to be. He chewed his lip a moment, before finally taking hold of the sarcophagus lid and shoving it off to reveal the contents of the ornate case.

Lying peacefully amid this entire glittering splendor was the simply wrapped body of the Pharaoh. His mummy was adorned with protective talismans, the head covered with an expertly crafted death mask of gold, set with semi-precious stones, and glittering rubies set for the eyes. Bakura stared at the features so familiar to him, staring back at him from an impassive cold metal mask. 

Bakura sneered at the corpse. "Weakling," he finally snarled at it, leaning over the edge of the sarcophagus so he could yell in the carved golden face. "How the mighty have fallen indeed! Even I, a mere thief, have outlived you, mighty Pharaoh! How could you disgrace yourself like this?! How could you just go and DIE like this?! How could you…" he choked on a sob that rose up in his throat, wiping at his eyes that threatened to spill tears. "…how could you just go and leave me?"

He rested his forehead on the edge of the sarcophagus, fighting back the tears. Actually, Pharaoh Yami probably had no idea that when he'd died, so had died Bakura's reason to live. After all, the Pharaoh had never even seen Bakura during his lifetime. But Bakura had seen _him_.   

Bakura was a master of stealth, and his title was well earned. Several times a week, sometimes daily when he felt like it, Bakura would creep undetected into Pharaoh Yami's palace. He'd done it so often, there was no challenge in it anymore. It was neither the challenge, nor the promise of the Pharaoh's wealth that lured the thief inside time and time again. It was the Pharaoh Yami himself. 

Watching from the safety of shadows, around corners, or atop ceiling beams, Bakura had watched the Pharaoh conduct his business. Both political and… personal. It seemed to Bakura that Yami was a master in everything he did. He ruled his kingdom with compassion, but a firm hand. He cared about the people he ruled, and they in turn adored him. His strength and character were things Bakura couldn't help but admire. 

But it was other things as well that fascinated the thief. The clever, sometimes teasing glint in Yami's bright ruby eyes. That sexy husky quality in Yami's voice that rarely failed to make Bakura shiver in delight simply hearing it. The smooth, confident way he walked. And that one time Bakura had made the mistake of spying on the Pharaoh in the middle of a lover's tryst with his sexy but stern High Priest. The image was explosive fuel for many of Bakura's future dreams. As well as the inspiration for a list of 101 ways to kill the High Priest. Bakura didn't deal well with jealousy.

And now Yami was dead. Bakura had never even had the chance to speak to the object of his affection and lust, and now it was too late. 

Bakura leaned in to brush a soft kiss over the golden mask's lips, pulling the lid back over the sarcophagus to cover the body. He couldn't hold the tears back now, and he was too tired, physically and emotionally, to even try. He looked around the small room, piled high with treasures fit for a king. 

"They certainly sent you off well stocked," he commented softly in the darkness. "So many pretty things to take to your next life with you. I hope you enjoy them." 

His eyes returned to the sarcophagus lid, inlaid with several items adorned with the eye of Horus; Pharaoh Yami's most prized treasures, the symbols and embodiments of his power. A small smile started to form on Bakura's lips as an idea took shape. He scrambled to his feet, pulling a golden blade from amid the treasures. With a maniacal grin, he slit both his wrists deep.

He clung to the coffin as his blood and strength seeped away. Bakura pressed the gaping wounds to the cold metal of one of the Pharaoh's treasures; the Millennium Ring. His blood made the gold gleam like rubies. Like Yami's eyes. Bakura smiled at that, willing his spirit into the Ring as it took its leave of his body.

"I will follow you into death," he whispered hoarsely, a smile still on his lips. "And I will find you again… in your next life…" 

Bakura's corpse finally slid off the sarcophagus lid, crumpled in a heap on the floor. His spirit settled into its new vessel; the Millennium Ring. He could feel the Pharaoh's spirit so close to him, sleeping, unaware, peaceful. Happy, Bakura settled down, to wait for however many centuries it took before he could see the world again. A world with Yami in it.

Silently, the statues of Yami's loyal protectors guarded their master, and now, Bakura as well. The torchlight gleamed over the gold of Yami's tomb, and the bright ruby of Bakura's blood, before at last, the flame finally guttered and went out.    


	2. Present Day

Present Day

"Mmm, Yamiii…" Bakura purred as he burrowed further under the bedcovers. Blankets rustled and bed springs squeaked slightly as he writhed in his pleasure. It was all he had ever wanted, everything he'd ever dreamed. Yami's heated touch and eyes bright with teasing affection and lust, pleasuring the thief beyond his capacity to think. Bakura wanted this moment to last forever. "Yami, please! Mmm, yesss…"

"Darn it, Bakura!" The bed sheets were whipped back, and Ryou glared down at his half-dressed yami. "I just washed the sheets yesterday, and I don't want to have to today! Can't you do that in your OWN bed?"

Almost sheepish, but more annoyed, Bakura slid out of Ryou's bed and started to straighten his clothes, avoiding eye contact with his hikari. Bad enough he'd gotten caught in the middle of a Yami fantasy, but being scolded for it was not the way he wanted to start his day. "My bed is in my soul room. After spending 5,000 years in there, you really think I plan on going back in?" 

Ryou sniffed, smoothing out the bed covers. "I'm not surprised; with your habits, it's probably a complete sty in there."

Bakura glowered at his counterpart. "Don't you have school or something to be going to?"

Ryou shook his head. "Winter break started today. Hey, the guys and I were going to a movie tomorrow, you want to come?" Even when he was mad at the thief, Ryou's natural friendliness always won out.

Bakura snorted in disdain, going to rummage through the papers and things on Ryou's desk, for lack of anything better to do. "Yeah, right, that'll happen."

Ryou smiled a faintly teasing grin, murmuring sweetly, "Yami will be there." 

Bakura paused, picking up the framed photo of Ryou and his friends off the desk, studying the features of the grinning Pharaoh in the picture for the millionth time. "…what movie is it?" 

Knowing he'd won, Ryou plopped down on the bed and grinned at Bakura. "If you like Yami so much, why don't you just tell him already?" 

"Don't change the subject," Bakura muttered, setting the photo back down, folding his arms and glowering. "And don't YOU tell him, either!" Bakura snapped before Ryou could say anything more. Without waiting for a reply to that, the thief stormed out of the room, muttering something about planning to raid the fridge. 

Ryou grinned as he watched his yami storm out of the bedroom. Much as Bakura wanted to portray himself as cold and heartless, Ryou had caught his counterpart in the middle of many a wet dream of the former Pharaoh. But no amount of teasing or torture could get Bakura to admit to anything directly. 

Well… Bakura had only said not to tell _Yami_. Ryou grabbed the telephone off the nightstand and dialed Yugi's number. 

Finally someone picked up on the other end. "…Hello?"

"Yugi! I gotta talk to you, this is really important, you see-"

Yami's voice interrupted Ryou's rapid speech. "Yugi's not home right now, Ryou. He's out with Seto. Try calling Yugi's cell phone." 

Ryou flushed, a little embarrassed to have almost spilled Bakura's secret to Yami. "…since when does Yugi have a cell phone?" 

"Since Seto bought him one," Yami replied, a hint of humor in his voice. "Is this really important thing something I could be of help with?" 

Ryou laughed nervously. "Ah, no, it can wait, really… can you give me Yugi's cell phone number?"

Yami gave him the number, promising to tell Yugi that Ryou had called in case he couldn't reach him on the cell. Thanking him, Ryou hung up the phone, exhaling at the somewhat close call. 

"What are you doing up there anyway?" Bakura called up from downstairs.

"Nothing!" Ryou yelled back with a grin, rapid dialing Yugi's cell phone number.

***

Yugi and Seto were cuddled up on the couch watching a movie, Mokuba sitting on the floor and hogging the popcorn, when Yugi's cell phone rang. Despite Seto's protests, Yugi wiggled out of his boyfriend's embrace and headed for the kitchen to talk where it was quieter.

"Want us to pause the movie?" Mokuba called from the living room. He didn't sound like he really wanted to. This was one of his favorite movies.

"Nah, I won't be long!" Yugi called back as he pulled out his phone and pressing the receive button. "Hello?"

"Yugi? It's Ryou, I need to talk to you!"

Yugi smiled, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Hi Ryou, what's the matter?"

"Well, nothing's really the matter, I just really need to tell someone this, it's sort of a secret, um… can you… you know, not share this with Yami? It's important he doesn't know…" 

Yugi frowned a little at that. It wasn't like Ryou to spill secrets, so whatever this one was must be pretty important. Subtly, Yugi mentally blocked his connection to Yami. "Okay, go ahead Ryou."

Ryou took a deep breath. "And you can't tell Bakura that you know this either, he'd really hurt me. But… Bakura really likes Yami."

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "…so?"

"No," Ryou emphasized, "he really, REALLY likes Yami."

Wide eyed, Yugi giggled a little. "Awww, your yami has a little crush on my yami? That is so cute!" 

"Yeah, but you know how Bakura is, he's like going to take this secret to the grave. Er, to his second grave. Or whatever. You know how stubborn he is…"

Yugi nodded. "Mm-hmm… I see your point, Ryou. But what are you telling me this for?"

"I want you to help me!" Ryou said excitedly. "You can help me get them together. Then maybe Bakura will quit masturbating in my bed."

Yugi flushed. "Too much information, Ryou!" 

Ryou giggled. "Sorry. Please help me, Yugi! Bakura's stubbornness is driving me crazy."

Yugi sighed. "Alright, I'll give it some thought then. I gotta go though; we're in the middle of a movie."

"Yay, thank you!" Ryou said. "Say hello to Seto and Mokuba for me, alright? See you tomorrow!"

"Who was that?" Kaiba asked as Yugi returned to the living room. He pulled his diminutive boyfriend back into his embrace, content once more.

"Just Ryou," Yugi replied as he cuddled up to Seto. "He says hi, by the way."

"Mm," Kaiba replied in his standard dismissive way. 

Yugi watched the movie a while longer, before his mind drifted back to his conversation with Ryou. "Hey Seto?"

"Hm?" Kaiba replied, not taking his eyes off the TV screen.

"What would you do if you were trying to set Yami up with someone?"

Kaiba blinked, looking down at Yugi. "I'd have my head examined." 

Yugi giggled and poked Seto in the side. "I'm being serious."

"So am I," Seto replied. 

"Shh, you guys! This is the best part!" Mokuba scolded them from the floor. 

Yugi and Kaiba quit talking, and nothing more was mentioned about setting Yami up with someone for the rest of the night. 


	3. Crash and Burn, Baby

Crash and Burn, Baby

"Who were you talking to?" Bakura asked as he returned to Ryou's room, a soda and sandwich in hand. Having food seemed to have mollified his previously hostile mood.

Ryou quickly hung the phone up, smiling nervously at his yami. "Um… just Yugi… confirming our plans for the movie tomorrow, you know…"

Bakura nodded in a bored way, sitting down on the chair at Ryou's desk and proceeding to devour his food. Ryou watched him anxiously for a moment more, until it became clear Bakura wasn't in the mood for prying. Ryou took a deep breath and added, "…and I may have sorta told him about your little thing for Yami."

"WHAT?!" Bakura had Ryou pinned to the bed before Ryou had even realized the fiend had leapt up. "How dare you?! I'm going to kill you!" 

Ryou squeaked and struggled helplessly against Bakura. "I'm sorry! Don't kill me, don't kill me! I just thought we'd need his help in getting you together with Yami!"

"Did I ASK for help?!" Bakura snarled, his hand closing around Ryou's throat to start choking him. "I don't need your help, or Yugi's! I don't need anyone, and I certainly do NOT have a 'thing' for Yami! You should have stayed the hell out of my business!" 

Making a little gurgle sound, Ryou clawed at Bakura's hand on his throat. "…b-bakura… please… don't do this…" His lungs were starting to burn for lack of oxygen.

With a snarled sound of frustration, Bakura released Ryou, who curled on his side and gasped for air. Bakura just glared down at his hikari as he caught his breath.

"Yugi won't tell anyone, will he?" Bakura finally demanded. 

Ryou shook his head, relieved Bakura had seemed to have calmed down. "He… he's good at keeping secrets."

Bakura snorted. "Unlike some." He made a dismissive gesture. "If I find out he told someone, or if you tell ANYONE else, I will kill the both of you and to hell with the consequences." He moved toward the door.

"Bakura!" Ryou sat up on the bed, calling after his yami. "This… I mean… I'm not complaining, mind you, but… why didn't you kill me 'this' time? I was so sure… that you would."

"So eager to die?" the thief sneered back at him. "Yami wouldn't have liked it if I killed you." He shook his head, turning from Ryou. The door slammed behind Bakura on his way out.

***

"Yami, I'm home!" Yugi called as he raced into the house in his usual fashion. 

Yami looked over from where he was attempting to make a card house-pyramid with his duel monster deck. "Have a nice time at Kaiba's?"

Yugi nodded happily as he plopped down on the couch. "We watched a movie, then Mokuba brought out his candy stash and Seto and I took turns chasing him. Though I think Seto was more interested in calming him down, and I was more interested in getting some of Mokuba's candy. We had a great time."

Yami smiled, not looking away from his project as he added the next level to his card house with steady hands. "The two Kaibas sure seem taken with you, Yugi. It's rather cute the nice little family the three of you make." 

That never failed to make Yugi blush and giggle. Yami almost regretted he was too engrossed with his card house to see the cute red color Yugi turned when he was embarrassed. 

"So, you coming with us to the movie tomorrow?" Yugi asked. "It's called 'The Mummy Returns,' I think you'll like it. Everyone else is coming too."

"Mm-hmm…" Yami murmured distractedly as he added two more cards to the pyramid. 

Yugi watched Yami build the card house for a little while, before he finally blurted out, "Yami, have you ever thought about finding a lover?"

Yami made a surprised choking sound, half-whirling to stare at Yugi, knocking the table in the process. In seconds, his card house had collapsed into a pile of cards.

"Oops…" Yugi muttered, cringing a little. "Sorry…"

Yami blinked at the mess of cards that remained of his majestic pyramid, then sighed as he started to pick the cards up, answering, "Um, no, I haven't ever thought of that… not for a long while, at any rate. Not interested in that sort of thing anymore, I suppose."

Chewing his lip a moment, Yugi said, "Well, what if someone really liked you? I mean, REALLY liked you? Would you think about it then?"

Yami gave Yugi an odd look. "What are you talking about? Who likes me?"

"Eh, no one!" Yugi said quickly, waving it off nervously. "Um, yeah, I gotta go change for bed, it's really late you know…" He leapt up from the couch, running upstairs, leaving Yami blinking in bewilderment after him. 

***

"That movie was grossly inaccurate," Bakura complained as they all filed out of the theater the next day. They'd spent a gray drizzly afternoon watching "The Mummy Returns," and now Bakura planned on explaining in detail how poorly Egypt was portrayed. 

"Well, you can't expect them to get everything right," Yami said calmly as they headed out into the parking lot. "Just because you and I actually lived through the era doesn't mean everyone has." 

"YOU of all people should feel insulted, Pharaoh!" Bakura snapped as Seto unlocked the car and they all piled in. 

Yami took the front passenger seat, as it had been decided Yugi was too much of a distraction for the driver. Seto had to keep his eyes on the 'road' when he was driving. Everyone else had to squeeze into the back, which wasn't too much of a hardship, considering Kaiba had a huge car. 

"Oh, I don't know…" Yami said, smiled faintly as he buckled his seatbelt. "Inaccurate or not, it was rather amusing anyway. I felt sorry for the mummy at the end though."

Seto snorted as he started the car and pulled out of the parking space. "You would. You know the mummies 'always' die at the end of those movies, don't you?"

"That doesn't seem very fair…" Yami murmured. "Not all mummies are bad guys… and I should know." 

Kaiba shrugged as he drove out onto the street. "Maybe you should get a petition going or something… 'mistreatment of mummies' or some such-"

He was interrupted by the screeching of tires and a blare of horns as a huge blue van veered around the nearest corner, the driver drunk as hell. Kaiba tried to swerve to avoid the massive tank of a vehicle, but not even his quick reflexes could evade the heavy collision of the front of the van to the side of his car.

There was a screeching crunch of metal and shattering glass everywhere, and it wasn't until the chaos calmed before anyone knew what had happened.

Kaiba groaned as he lifted his head from the inflated air bag, twisting to look back at the passengers. "Everyone okay?"

They seemed shaken, but relatively unharmed, save for a few bruises and scrapes here and there. It had been a particularly nasty crash. Seeing to it that Yugi, Ryou, Bakura, and Mokuba were okay, Seto looked over at the front passenger seat.

That part of the car had taken the brunt of the impact. It was almost crushed in completely. And Yami's air bag had not inflated. 

Yami lay limply, mangled metal crushing his legs, half his face covered in blood from where he'd cracked his head on the door or the dashboard. He didn't appear to be conscious. Or breathing. 


	4. The Guardians

**Author's note; Much love and gratitude to everyone who has reviewed this story so far! All your glowing praise has made me decide to continue this story instead of just getting bored and dropping it. Y'all rock! 

The Guardians

Ryou finally got tired of watching Bakura pacing back and forth through the hallway outside Yami's hospital room, snapping, "Bakura, would you quit it already? You're not making this any easier!"

"Easier?!" Bakura snarled at Ryou, his eyes wild with too many emotions for the pale haired hikari to pick out. "What are you talking to me about 'easy' for?! Two hours, Ryou! He hasn't so much as twitched for two whole hours! You said he was going to wake up!" 

They weren't allowed to go in and see how Yami was doing yet, so everyone was waiting outside and taking turns looking through the small window, trying to peer around the bustling doctors in the room to see how their friend was doing. So far, the blood had been cleaned off, but that was the only improvement. Seto was leaning against the wall and cuddling Yugi close, trying to comfort his distraught boyfriend and not being very successful at it.

Seto raised an eyebrow at Bakura. "For someone who is supposed to hate Yami, you're not being very convincing."

Bakura shot Seto a nasty look and went to wait at the window again. "I'm too busy panicking to fake it right now, leave me alone." Yami still didn't show any signs of waking up. "Come on, you stupid Pharaoh… open your goddamn eyes or I'll come in there and throttle you…" 

Yugi sniffled as he huddled closer into Seto's comforting embrace, looking up at him with violet eyes shiny with tears. "Yami will be alright, won't he? He… he wouldn't die and leave us, would he?"

Kaiba smiled faintly at Yugi, hoping it looked reassuring. "I've got the best doctors in there… Yami will be okay, you know he's too damn stubborn to die from one little car crash. Besides, he wouldn't leave anyone who cared so much about him."

Bakura snorted, not taking his eyes from the window. "Don't bet on that one." Yami had died once before. Despite everyone who had cared for him in Egypt, he had left, and hadn't returned for 5,000 years. Bakura was scared to death that he would do it again. 

The door of Yami's room opened, and everyone jumped to crowd around the doctor that came out. Facing all the worried and frightened people, the doctor sighed and delivered the news.

"He's got a concussion, but his vital signs are stable so far. His breathing returned to normal, but it had been erratic for a while. Also, both legs were broken, but they've been set, and should heal nicely," the doctor said. "We think he'll wake up soon, you all can go in and wait with him if you'd like." 

Bakura pushed past the doctor before anything else could be said, standing at Yami's bedside and glaring at the remaining doctors in the room. Slowly they emptied out, as Yugi, Ryou and Seto came in as well. 

"Always getting into some sort of trouble, aren't you, Yami?" Seto finally said, breaking the tense silence of the white sterile room.

There wasn't much else to be said after that, so nothing more was said. Everyone just stood around Yami's prone, broken body, and waited.

***

"Hey, wake up!"

Bakura grumbled something as Ryou shook him awake, blinking confusedly at him before he remembered where he was. He sat up quickly in the uncomfortable chair he'd fallen asleep in, instantly alert. "What? Is he awake?" 

"Sort of," Ryou said, moving so Bakura could get a better look at Yami. Yami's ruby eyes were partially open, staring a little unfocussed at the ceiling. Bakura leapt from his seat to stand by the bedside again.

"Hey Pharaoh," he finally managed to murmur. Yami's eyes flickered to him, still looking dazed. "You really scared all of us. How're you feeling?"

Yami didn't answer, dull eyes still watching Bakura. The fiend took Yami's hand, gently squeezing it reassuringly, smiling slightly when he felt Yami's hand weakly squeeze back. 

Yami was still very disoriented as he tried to place where he knew Bakura's face. Lots of soft, fine white hair, concerned and caring look in Bakura's eyes, small and hopeful smile. One of his friends. Yes, Yami remembered that face. He smiled slightly, his eyes closing again, murmuring faintly, "Ryou." And blessed darkness rose up and claimed him again.

Bakura blinked, startled. Ryou? Yami had thought he was Ryou! He glanced over at his hikari, waiting at the foot of the bed. Bakura supposed he probably had looked more like Ryou than himself at that moment. Ah well. Yami was asleep again.

The little hanging pointers on the Millennium Ring that Bakura wore clanged together in a faint musical sound, tugging as they did in the presence of other millennium items. Startled, Bakura moved to see what they were pointing at. 

A ghost stood behind Ryou. Or at least, the misty apparition looked like a ghost. Ryou let out a squeak when he turned and saw it, scrambling back as fast as he could.

It was tall, shifting, as if it couldn't decide what form to take. Finally the misty shape took the features of the Dark Magician, staff in hand. Bakura stared at it, wondering who had called the duel monster into the room. He knew his millennium item had the power to call creatures from the shadow realm, perhaps Yami, in his unconscious state, had called this one?

The Dark Magician looked grim as it moved forward, not so much as glancing at Ryou or Bakura. Its eyes were fixed on Yami, reaching out a pale, ghostly hand to touch the Pharaoh's face.

"Don't…" Bakura whispered, swallowing slightly. "…don't…" 

The Dark Magician's hand lightly caressed Yami's cheek, and as strangely as he had came, the duel monster was gone again. 

A load buzz filled the room. It took Bakura a moment to realize it was the heart monitor. Yami's heart had stopped. 

The Millennium Ring turned blackish, and crumbled to dust on the floor.   


	5. Epidemic

Epidemic

Bakura stared at the mess of ashes that was his Millennium Ring. He stared at that flat line of the heart monitor, proclaiming Yami dead. Anything to keep from having to look at Yami. Maybe if he just didn't look, he could pretend this hadn't just happened. 

"Ryou," he murmured, forcing the words out past the lump in his throat. "Doctor. Get the doctor."

Ryou lightly touched his shoulder. "It's too late, Bakura…"

"NOW!" Bakura shouted. Ryou yelped and scrambled out of the room as fast as he could go. Steeling himself for what he'd see, Bakura finally looked at the Pharaoh.

Yami looked pale, but peaceful. Like he was just sleeping. But Bakura knew better. No pulse beat under the skin, and Yami's chest was still, without the movement of breathing.

"Damn you," Bakura growled between gritted teeth. "You left me once… and damn you if you do it again… I'm getting really sick of having to watch you die… don't you dare leave me now…" Tears were welling in his eyes again. He hadn't cried for 5,000 years. Not since he'd stood over Yami's sarcophagus so long ago. 

Ryou returned and led Bakura out of the room as the doctors came running in, and Bakura didn't even comment about being led about like a child. He didn't say anything as Ryou led him into the waiting room where they could sit down. Bakura hadn't ever been one to pray to the gods, but he found himself trying to recall each of their names, and the names of the Pharaoh's guardian spirits, to ask them to not take Yami from him a second time. 

"We should call Seto and Yugi…" Ryou finally said quietly. "…let them know what's happening."

Not really listening, or caring, Bakura nodded slightly. Ryou touched Bakura's shoulder comfortingly, and getting no more responses from the thief, got up to use the payphone. 

Seto sounded rushed and frustrated when he picked up his cell phone. "What?!" 

Ryou blinked at Kaiba's harsh tone. "Um… I was just… calling to say Yami got worse all of a sudden… he might… be dead. You and Yugi might want to come back to the hospital…"

"We're already on our way," Kaiba said curtly.

"What?" Ryou was a little confused. "Seto, is there something the matter?"

Seto gave an agitated sigh. "Yugi's sick. We were just talking and then he just… fainted. We're in the car, headed to the hospital right now." 

"Oh god, Yugi…" Ryou closed his eyes. "Why is all of this happening?"

"We'll be there in a few minutes," Kaiba said, and hung up. Ryou stood and listened to the droning dial tone without really hearing it, then finally hung up as well. 

Bakura was still staring blankly off into space when Ryou came and sat back down next to him. "They're on their way," Ryou said quietly. "Yugi got sick all of a sudden. Kaiba is bringing him here." 

"Mm," Bakura replied. Yugi didn't matter to him. Seto didn't either, or Ryou, or any of them. Only Yami really mattered. And Yami wasn't here.

There was more commotion when Kaiba ran in carrying Yugi's limp body, and Bakura watched the panic and rushing around with a sort of dull fascination. Yugi was put in a room and attended to by as many doctors as Kaiba could make go in there, and finally things calmed down again after that. Seto came to sit down in the waiting room with Ryou and Bakura, and the three of them were silent as they waited. The waiting was the worst part. 

A doctor came out an hour or so later, to deliver the news about Yami and Yugi. After a lot of work, Yami had been resuscitated. He appeared to be in a coma, however; completely unresponsive to anything. Yugi's sudden sickness was similarly confusing to the doctors. They couldn't figure out what was wrong with him, or how to cure it. Kaiba said quite a few nasty words after hearing that. 

When the doctor had left, Ryou turned to Kaiba. "Seto… about what time did Yugi pass out?"

"Only a few minutes before you called…" Seto said, sounding tired of this whole damn mess. 

"That's about the time Yami's heart stopped," Bakura commented, speaking for the first time in several hours. 

Seto blinked. "Do you think that had something to do with Yugi suddenly getting sick?"

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Don't ask me; I'm just a thief, YOU are the expert on all that mystical shadow realm crap."

"Huh?" Kaiba looked confused. Bakura waved it off.

"Never mind," Bakura said tiredly. "It's a bunch of past life stuff, forgot that you don't remember any of it."

"Past life?" Kaiba asked. "As in, from your time? Ancient Egypt?"

Bakura nodded absently. "Yeah. You were the high priest. I didn't like you much. Course, I didn't like most anybody."

Ryou looked up at the ceiling, remembering something that had happened earlier. "What I want to know is, why was the Dark Magician in Yami's room earlier, anyway? That was… really weird."

"He'd come to take Yami home," Bakura said. "He's one of the Pharaoh's guardians… someone has to lead the spirit of a dead person into the shadow realm. That's the person's guardian's job. Everyone has one; Yami, being Pharaoh, has more than one."

"What's your guardian?" Ryou asked, a little intrigued. 

Bakura shook his head. "I don't have one."

"But you just said everyone had one," Seto commented. All this talk of guardians and shadow realm magic sounded like crap to him, but at least it was something to talk about other than thinking about the condition his boyfriend was in.

"Well, I don't," Bakura snapped. "I lost mine."      


	6. Long Distance Call

Long Distance Call

A pretty nurse stepped into the waiting room, clearing her throat to catch the three boys' attention. "Excuse me, Seto Kaiba?"

Seto looked up at her, hoping it was good news. "Yes?"

The nurse motioned for him to follow her. "Yugi Motou has woken up, and he's asking for you." 

Instantly on his feet, and without a word to Ryou or Bakura, Seto followed the nurse back to Yugi's room. With Seto gone, the thief and his hikari both fell silent. For once in his life, Bakura wished someone would say something. Anything. The silence of a hospital waiting room was crushing. All he had to do was sit and think about his reason for being here at the moment. 

***

Yugi looked terribly upset when Kaiba came into the room. "Seto! What's happened to Yami? Is he okay?" He clutched his Millennium Puzzle so tightly Seto was afraid the metal would cut into his hands. 

"Calm down, Yugi," Seto said, sitting down at the bedside and trying to pry the puzzle from Yugi's grip. Yugi wouldn't let it go. "Yami's going to be okay. Are you feeling all right? You really scared me earlier!"

Yugi shook his head. "I'm just a little lightheaded. Has Yami woken up?"

Kaiba sighed. Just no reasoning Yugi when he was worried about his friends. "For a little while. His heart stopped, Yugi. They have a bunch of machines keeping him alive now, but… he's not waking up." He let the Millennium Puzzle go as Yugi hugged it to him in a nervous protective gesture. Something on Seto's hand felt gritty.

He looked down at his fingers, which were covered in a dusting of rusty ash. Making a face, Seto dusted the mess off on his pants. "What is this stuff?"

Yugi blinked at the rust on Kaiba's hand, then at his own hands, which were covered in more of the gritty ashes. "It's… coming off the puzzle." He held up his treasure, which was by all appearances starting to grow a very slight film of rust on its shiny golden surface. "The Millennium Puzzle is rusting!" 

Seto sighed. "Probably has something to do with Yami's condition. Wish someone would figure out what that condition is."

Yugi nodded and chewed his lower lip, then brightened all of a sudden. "I could ask Yami!"

"Yami is in a coma," Seto reminded Yugi gently. This didn't seem to deter Yugi any.

"No, no, through like our mind-link thing! It's magic, I can talk to him that way!" Yugi looked really excited to have figured that out. Maybe they could find out what was wrong with Yami, and maybe help him out of it.

/ …Yami! Yami, are you there? / Yugi thought to Yami as hard as he could. He hoped Yami could hear him.

// …hmmm?… // finally came the reply, faint, confused, but definitely Yami. Yugi was delighted. 

/ Yami, are you alright? Seto says you're in a coma! Can I help you out of it somehow? We all really miss you here! / 

There was tense silence through the mind link. Finally, Yami replied, // …Yugi… I have to go now, Yugi. // Yami sounded much farther away this time.

/ Go? Go where?? / Yugi thought back frantically. Was Yami leaving him?

// Home, // was the only answer Yami gave. The reply was faint, barely there at all. The connection to Yami was fading away. Yugi clung to it desperately.

/ Where is home? / Yugi demanded. 

There was no reply. Yugi caught the briefest image in his mind, of an ocean of sand stretching on forever, and a scorching sun that hung like a golden jewel in the sky. And the last of his connection to his yami was gone. 

Yugi whimpered. "Yami…" The Millennium Puzzle fell apart in his tight grip, and each piece of it crumbled to ashes.

Kaiba worriedly touched Yugi's shoulder. "Yugi? Are you alright? What happened?" 

Yugi wiped the tears from his eyes with a soot covered hand, leaving black streaks on his cheeks. "He's gone." 

"Yami is still alive," Seto said, a little confused. "They said his condition was stable now… he… might still wake up."

"No!" Yugi's dirty hands clenched to fists. "He's gone, he left, I felt it. His body may still be alive because the machines are keeping it that way, but he'll never wake up because he's gone!" Yugi showed Seto the pile of ashes that used to be the once sought after and coveted Millennium Puzzle. "You see? This is all that's left of him!"

Kaiba sighed. Things were so much simpler without ancient Egyptian spirits in his life. Maybe things could be normal with one less spirit around. 

There was a knock at the door, and Ryou peeked in. "We wanted to see how you were doing, Yugi."

Sniffling slightly, Yugi gestured for him to come in, asking quietly, "…'we'?…" 

Ryou pushed the door open further, and almost literally dragged Bakura in with him. Bakura didn't look very happy about that. "So, how are you feeling, Yugi?"

Seto could tell Yugi was trying to hold back tears when he talked. "I talked to Yami," Yugi whispered. "He said he had to go home." 

"That doesn't make sense…" Ryou murmured. "This is his home. And what happened to your puzzle, Yugi?" He blinked at the mess in distaste. 

Bakura grinned maniacally all of a sudden, grabbing Kaiba and nearly shaking him. "Do you own a plane?" 

Seto stared at him, thwapping Bakura's hands off of him lightly. "Yeah. Why?" 

Laughing insanely, Bakura grinned at them all wildly. "I know where to find him. Pack your bags; we're going to Egypt!"


	7. The Fourth

The Fourth

"Okay," Kaiba said, hanging up his cell phone. "We'll be landing in three hours. I could only get two hotel rooms, and believe me, I did try to get us a third. No such luck, Ryou and Bakura will have to share." 

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever. We'll share the damn room, the sleeping arrangements aren't important anyway." 

Seto nodded and moved on. "I didn't arrange for a guide, since I figured you knew where we are going." He gave Bakura a skeptical look. "You DO know where we're going, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Bakura said. "I know that city inside out."

Yugi yawned slightly, bundled up in the comfy cushion of Seto's private plane. Bakura hadn't bothered asking how Kaiba had convinced the doctors to let Yugi out of the hospital. 

Blinking his wide violet eyes sleepily, Yugi murmured, "You do know the city you're thinking of is 5,000 years older than it was when you were last there, and may not even be there anymore?" 

Bakura blinked. "Oops."

Ryou made a frustrated noise. "Bakura, WHY are we going to Egypt anyway? What's the point of all this; what are we looking for?"

"There's someone we need to talk to," Bakura said, reaching for another bag of complimentary peanuts provided on the flight. 

"Oh? And who would that be?" Seto asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The Dark Magician," Bakura answered. At his companions' incredulous looks, he got defensive. "What? Without the Millennium Ring or Puzzle, we can't contact the shadow realm directly. But there's a ceremony for that sort of thing. It has to be done in the temple though."

"Which is in Egypt," Yugi supplied helpfully. "And that's why we're flying across the world, to summon a duel monster and ask him to give back Yami's soul."

Bakura nodded. "Exactly."

"I don't believe this…" Kaiba groaned. "Why can't people just die and stay dead normally anymore?"

"You have to believe it, Kaiba; you're the one that has to perform the ceremony," Bakura said smugly. 

"Why me?!"

"Because you're the reincarnated High Priest. It'd be offensive to the shadow realm if anyone but you did it, and then we might not get what we came for," Bakura answered.

Kaiba looked like he was torn between giving in, and telling the pilot to turn the damn plane around and take them home. Finally he said, "And you know how this ceremony is done, right?"

"Oh sure, I've seen it done once," Bakura said. 

"But that was 5,000 years ago," Yugi commented. "Are you sure you remember it all?"

Bakura didn't answer, looking out the window to watch the clouds go by. Everyone took his silence to mean "no."

***

"Here?" Ryou said in disbelief. "This is it?"

Bakura nodded proudly. "This is it."

The four of them stood in the middle of the desert, the moon shining majestically above them. There was nothing around but waves of sand in every direction for miles. And Bakura insisted they were standing on the exact site of the temple.

"Well, where the temple was," Bakura added. "Close enough, right? It's the right spot, even if the building isn't here."

Yugi looked up at Seto. "We're doomed, aren't we?" Seto nodded back gravely. 

Bakura plopped down on the sand, nodding with satisfaction. "You remember what I told you to do, Kaiba?"

Seto folded his arms. "I'm not doing it."

"What? You have to!" Ryou said. "We came all this way! It's hot and it's dark and I have sand in my shoes, and if I had to put up with all that tonight, you can stand to look a little foolish."

Bakura snickered. Ryou was a force to be reckoned with when he was tired and cranky. 

"Yeah," Yugi added. "Besides, no one but us will see anyway. Pleeeeaaase, Seto?" And to seal it, he turned the full force of his pleading pout on his boyfriend. No one could resist a pouting Yugi, least of all Kaiba. 

Seto didn't even bother to try to say no to Yugi. "Alright, I'll do it. But when it doesn't work, we're getting back on those camels and going back to the hotel, alright?"

"It'll work," Yugi promised. But even he wasn't sure. 

Kaiba glowered a little, then recited the words Bakura had told him, in a voice of one who really didn't want to be doing this. "I call to you, lord master, my own most honored guardian, and beg you to open the doorway so you and we may cross between. Come forth to hear our pleas, and we beg of you, have mercy and grant that which we need." He huffed slightly. "There. I said it. Now what?"

 Bakura shot him a look that clearly told him to shut up. They waited in the tense desert silence. The wind ruffled the sand lightly, and the camels grunted to each other. Nothing more happened.

Finally deciding nothing was coming, Kaiba rolled his eyes and turned to leave. Before he'd taken a step, the earth began to rumble under his feet. Sand shifted in waves all around them, a hole opening up in the earth, like a pond of rippling black and sapphire water. Out of this a creature came, its scales gleaming silver in the moonlight, its gaze sharp as it focused on Kaiba.

Seto, calm and collected as he always was, tripped over his own feet and ended up on his ass as he stared up at the massive beast. "The Blue Eyes White Dragon…" 

The dragon lowered its head in agreement, sand shifting under it as it settled down into a crouch, its piecing gaze calm and wary. It waited.

Bakura scrambled up from where he'd tumbled when the shaking began, hissing to Kaiba. "Talk to it. I dunno how patient that thing will be."

Seto swallowed and tried to think of something to say, staring up at the dragon's face. Nothing had ever really prepared him for coming face to face with a real live Blue Eyes. Saying the first thing that came to mind, he blurted, "You're so big…" 

Bakura groaned. Yugi was right; they were doomed. 

With an expression bordering on amusement, the form of the Blue Eyes White Dragon began to shift, shrinking and reshaping itself. In the dragon's place now stood a man, dressed in heavy silvery armor and holding a helmet shaped like a dragon's head, his long, pure white hair waving gently in the Egyptian wind. "Is that better?" he asked, his voice rich and strong.

Kaiba nodded slightly. "Um, yeah. Better."

Yugi didn't much like the way Kaiba was looking at the admittedly hot human form of the Blue Eyes. He poked his boyfriend in the side, whispering, "Don't forget why we're here." 

Composing himself, Seto stood to face the dragon. "We ask that the Dark Magician be present."

The Blue Eyes looked considering, then inclined his head. "It can be arranged." He waved a hand, and from the shadows stepped the Dark Magician, as if he'd known they were coming, and had been waiting. 

"Mighty mage," Seto murmured, "we ask you to return the soul you have taken, that of the Pharaoh Yami, so that he may be and live in this time and place once more."

The Dark Magician considered the request, smiled softly, and said, "No." 

"What?!" Bakura exploded. "What do you mean, no? That's not what you're supposed to say!"

Seto, Yugi and Ryou exchanged glances, and shrugged. 

"Pharaoh Yami cannot return to this world," said the Blue Eyes. "He has fulfilled his destiny as he was meant to, and now has joined the kings before him in the shadow realm, as a great king such as he was meant to."

"But we need him here!" Yugi cried out. "We're his friends, we miss him. Please!"

"Regretfully, we cannot," said the Dark Magician. "As much as we would like to grant your request, it is not our place to do such a thing. You have our deepest apologies. We cannot return him to you." 

The Dark Magician and the Blue Eyes White Dragon turned from the boys, walking together back into their cloak of shadows, and once again the desert was silent but for the wind stirring the sand faintly.

Bakura snarled. "Well, hell." And that summed it up pretty nicely. 

***

The same desert moon shone through Bakura's hotel room window. Ryou was curled up in the bed, fast asleep, but Bakura stood at the window, watching the night. How much Egypt had changed since his time. How he missed his city, the way the moon had reflected off the palace, the faint way the birds would murmur in the night, all the millions of sights and sounds he'd taken for granted back then. He missed it. And he missed Yami. 

He didn't know what to do now. Once again, Yami had left this world, and him. The Millennium Ring was gone. The Shadow Realm refused him their help. Yami was gone, and forever, this time. Perhaps there was only one thing he could do. He just hoped his spirit could find its way to the shadow realm without the aid of a guardian. 

Rummaging through his hastily packed suitcase, Bakura retrieved a long, wicked looking blade. Not as fancy as the one he'd killed himself with the first time, but it would do. Touching the blade to his wrist, he pressed down until he drew blood.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," murmured a strong, rich voice behind him. 

Bakura dropped the blade and whirled around. Sitting cross-legged on top of the table was the human form of the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

"What are you doing here?" Bakura blurted. In the bed, Ryou murmured and rolled over. The Blue Eyes touched a finger to his lips in a gesture to be quiet.

"I came to help," the dragon said, a little more cheerfully than the one in the desert. Bakura's eyes narrowed.

"You… are you the same Blue Eyes we talked to earlier?" he asked suspiciously.

With a grin, the Blue Eyes shook his head. "That was Seto's guardian. I am 'your' guardian."

Bakura blinked. "I thought all three Blue Eyes were Seto's guardians."

The dragon smirked. "Silly. There are 'four' Blue Eyes White Dragons, remember?"   

**

Author's note: Two chapters in one day! Aren't you people so lucky? Ugh, well, I guess this story is getting sadder than I meant it to be… But as long as people enjoy reading it, I guess I'll keep writing it. 


	8. Last Resort

Last Resort

Bakura gave the Blue Eyes White Dragon sitting on the table a disbelieving look. "I thought a person's guardian spirit abandoned them if they committed suicide. It was supposed to be a sin to take your own life. Did they change the rules in the last 5,000 years?" 

"Nope, it's still a sin and you're still damned," said the Blue Eyes cheerfully. "And to set the record straight, your guardian abandoned you 'long' before you cut yourself open and bled to death. It's a sin to steal from the dead too, if you remember. Bad tomb robber!" He laughed. Bakura was thinking this was terribly odd behavior for a dragon that was known for its seriousness. "Anyway," continued the dragon, "I sorta took on the job after that. Out of the goodness of my heart!" 

 "Do you, uhh… have a name?" Bakura asked. 

"Eep, the introductions! Forgot that part, don't hold it against me, okay? Can call me Shiroi, it's as good as anything. Not my real name of course, but I don't suppose you'd be able to speak the language of dragons…" the Blue Eyes mused.

"Riiiight…" Bakura said. With a frustrated sigh, he said, "The Dark Magician and the other Blue Eyes already said Yami couldn't be brought back; how exactly are you planning to help me? Or do you have power beyond what they have?"

"Nah," Shiroi said with a sigh. "No guardian can bring back a spirit once its dead. Not even the Dark Magician. But it's not like he doesn't want to help you though! He knows that you've got the major hots for Yami and for the record, he think you two would be cute together." 

"So?" demanded Bakura. "How can you help me? Come to kill me yourself so I have an iota less sin on my soul?"

Shiroi got off the table, walking over to Bakura. The dragon towered over him, despite being in a humanoid form. With a smile, he smacked Bakura upside the head. "Don't be stupid! I said guardians couldn't bring back spirits. I didn't say 'you' couldn't bring Yami back."

Bakura rubbed the side of his head, glaring at the guardian. "What are you talking about?" 

"I bring you to the Shadow Realm, you convince Yami to come back with you, I lead you back to this world, everyone's happy. Get it?!" said Shiroi excitedly.

Bakura stared at him. "It's not that I don't appreciate this greatly, but why are you helping me? No guardian is ever so involved in the lives of men."

Shiroi's grin was wicked. "Because when Yami's happy, his guardian is happy. And when the Dark Magician is happy, I get laid. You ready to go yet or not?" 

Jumping at the chance, Bakura nodded. Shiroi held out a hand to him, and after the briefest hesitation, Bakura laid his hand in the dragon's. It was like the world inclined sharply and fell away. Bakura's insides twisted as blackness and sapphire light swirled up to close in around them. It was too dark now to even see his guardian's face. Though all of it, somehow, Bakura could hear the dragon laughing.

When the darkness cleared, Bakura was standing in a familiar courtyard, the Egyptian sun hot and pleasant on his skin. Shiroi was nowhere in sight. He remembered this place. This place had long since crumbled to rubble and dust, but this was it when it was new. This was Yami's palace from the ancient times. 

It was like being taken back in time. Wandering through the richly decorated halls of the palace, Bakura recognized every detail, every corridor, and every room. 

Someone was coming his way down the hall. Immediately on guard, Bakura climbed up the wall to hide on a perch on the ceiling beam. Shadow Realm or the real Ancient Egypt, he'd never been very welcome. The voices neared, and Bakura's heart leapt as he recognized one. A strong, husky, sexy voice that had never failed to give him delightful shivers. Yami came walking down the hallway, talking seriously with one of his advisors.

Even this was exactly as he remembered. The Pharaoh had always looked so sexy dressed in his royal robes. He strode confidently as he explained matters of great importance to the lackey that hurried after him. 

Just like old times, Bakura thought, as he crept after them along the ceiling supports as he'd done in the ancient past. But this time, he was on a mission. He'd have to actually talk to Yami this time. 

Yami and his advisor reached the throne room at last. Seating himself, Yami waved a hand to dismiss the lackey, and the scant other people in the room. The Pharaoh looked a little stressed out, Bakura noticed from his hiding place. Well, now was as good a time as any, no one else was around but the two of them.

The Pharaoh looked up as Bakura leapt down from his perch, landing easily on his feet on the ground. Instantly on guard, Yami snapped at him, "Who are you?"

Bakura blinked. When he'd come here, he'd assumed Yami would at least remember him. They weren't 'really' in ancient Egypt; this was a shadow realm representation of it. How could Yami not know him?

"Don't you remember me?" Bakura asked incredulously. This was going to be SO much harder than he'd previously thought, wasn't it? Just his luck.

Yami studied the face of the white-haired intruder. The features did look familiar. An image surfaced in his mind, of fine soft white hair, a concerned and caring look in warm brown eyes, a small and hopeful smile. He didn't know where he remembered the face from, but suddenly he did know this stranger's name. No stranger, but a friend. 

"I… do remember you," Yami said, relaxing slightly on his throne, smiling slightly. "Ryou?"      


	9. Mistakes

Author's Note: I'm so terribly thrilled with all the reviews I've been getting. People seem to love any story I write that has "Matchmaker" in the title. 

Also I've been getting a lot of questions and comments in the reviews, which I would like to answer here, if I may. This may cause very minor spoilers.

First, to CharcoalCat: All will be revealed in time; you shall have the answers to your questions. And yes, Bakura does get some. 

To Infiny: Dude, no death threats! I'm continuing the story, see? Please don't kill me, then I'll 'never' be able to finish this story!

And to Rosz of the Angel: You're my 33rd reviewer! Yay for you. Um, yeah. I love the number 33. 

Finally, to everyone else not mentioned by name, or the ones too lazy to review, I still love all y'all! Keep reading!

Mistakes

Bakura frowned slightly. Again with the mistaking-him-for-Ryou bit! He was starting to get a little annoyed with this. It used to be that he thought it was a 'good' thing to look so much like his pure and innocent hikari. Now it was such a hindrance, he was considering dyeing his hair. Just to set the two of them apart. 

But seeing the delighted, confused, hopeful look on Yami's face, he couldn't stay mad for long. Nor did he have the heart to correct the poor memory-forsaken Pharaoh. If Ryou was the only one of them Yami remembered for the moment, then by all means, Bakura would be Ryou. 

Bakura nodded his head slightly, "Yeah, that's right." He guessed he couldn't really blame Yami. Seeing Bakura and mistaking him for Ryou was probably the last memory he had before he'd died; that must be why he remembered it now.

Yami relaxed a little more on his throne, at ease now, though there was evidence of fatigue and tenseness still on his face. "You okay, Pharaoh?" Bakura asked. "You look… a little stressed."

Yami sighed, looking up at the ceiling as he thought. Murmuring aloud, he said, "Things have been very confusing lately. I've been getting this odd feeling that I shouldn't be here, that there's somewhere… else I should be. I can't think of where that would be, though. No one seems to want to comment on it when I mention this." His normally calm and controlled gaze was soft and bewildered when he looked back at Bakura. "And now you show up. I can't… even remember where I know you from."

Bakura smirked a little at that, folding his arms. "Well, maybe I can clear a few things up for you. You, dear Pharaoh, are dead."

"What?!" Yami stood up quickly, his eyes narrowed on Bakura.

"Hey, I don't mean that in the I'm-here-to-kill-you sort of way, I mean you really are dead. Here, I can prove it." Bakura took quick inventory of the items he was carrying, finding he had a pocketknife in his back pocket. "Come here."

 Yami looked skeptically at the blade Bakura had pulled out. He didn't recognize the design; no one had invented switchblades in Ancient Egypt. But sharp pointy things were sharp pointy things, no matter the style. 

Bakura could see the Pharaoh's reluctance. "Look, trust me. It won't hurt."

Oddly enough, Yami found that he did trust him. With only slight hesitance, he walked closer to Bakura. Bakura took Yami's hand, secretly marveling at the softness of Yami's skin, touching the tip of the blade to the prominent vein in Yami's wrist. In a quick movement, he made a deep slice across the wrist.

"Ah!" Yami jerked his hand away, ready to call for his guards, glaring at Bakura for his deceit and betrayal. 

Bakura smirked softly as he folded up the knife. "Now, did that really hurt so much?"

Yami blinked. It hadn't hurt at all, it had just startled him. He looked at his cut wrist, finding no blood. The cut was vanishing even as he stared at it. "What is happening?"

"Nobody bleeds in the shadow realm," Bakura said, tucking the pocketknife back into his pocket.

"Shadow realm?" Yami asked, still marveling at his perfectly unhurt wrist. He looked up at Bakura. "I really am dead then. I don't… remember any of it."

"It'll probably come back to you when I take you back," said Bakura offhandedly.

"Take me back where?" Yami asked skeptically.

Bakura smirked. "Home." 

Yami looked around his opulent throne room. Here, he lived in a beautiful palace, had his every desire catered to. He couldn't even 'remember' this home place 'Ryou' wanted to take him back to. Should he really leave? If he was dead, didn't he belong here?

And yet, he didn't feel like he really belonged here, despite its familiar comforts. People must be waiting for him back home. People he cared about deeply. He couldn't remember who, but he had this strong urge to go with Ryou and return to them.

"Yes," he said slowly, "I think I should like to return home."

Bakura smiled, offering him a hand. Yami took it, finding the skin of Bakura's hand to be a little rough, callused from a long life of work, probably from holding weapons as well. Wondering on that, Yami followed Bakura back toward the courtyard.

How was it Ryou knew so well the layout of his palace? Yami was getting a strong feeling that the place he was returning to was nothing like this, but his companion seemed to know exactly where he was going.

"Shiroi!" Bakura called out when they reached the empty courtyard. "Where are you? We're ready to go!"

Yami looked around, trying to locate this 'Shiroi' person. Was that another friend of his? 

Dark shadow realm energy rose up from the ground, laced with sapphire light, but not enough to form a gateway. It hovered, a little ball of darkness and light, before it dispersed and faded as quick and quietly as it had come. A small piece of paper fluttered to the ground.

Bakura snatched the paper up, reading the message that had been scrawled on it. 

"So sorry, chum," read the note, "I'm a little tied up at the moment. Literally. Dark Magician and I are busy. Call back tomorrow. Love and stuff, signed, Shiroi."

"Damn that dragon!" Bakura snarled, crumpling the note and throwing it across the courtyard. He signed and looked to a very confused Yami. "Looks like we're going to have to wait a while for our ride."    


	10. Unknowing Torture

Unknowing Torture

Yami raised an eyebrow at Bakura. "I take it this Shiroi person is not as reliable as he might be?"

"Not hardly," grumbled Bakura. "For a Blue Eyes White Dragon, he certainly doesn't have the dignity or reliance of one." 

"He's a dragon?" Yami asked with slight awe. "You are acquainted with such a powerful being?"   

Bakura nodded, making an offhanded gesture. "My guardian spirit. Who, according to his note, is in the midst of being screwed by _your _guardian spirit."

Yami, to his credit, did not blush. "Oh." And he left it at that. He changed the subject. "So we're not able to leave this realm yet?"

"Not until tomorrow, I guess." Bakura grumbled. "If I still had the Millennium Ring, we could be out of here already, but it disintegrated when you died." 

Yami raised an eyebrow, a silent request for more information. Bakura shrugged.

"Far as I can figure," said Bakura, "all your power was put into the Millennium items in Egypt, so you could take it with you to your next life. Then when you died in that life, all your power came with you here, and the empty vessels just… fell apart, since they weren't needed anymore."

"This is all far too confusing…" Yami muttered. "Well, so long as we're stuck here for the night, we might as well attend to something I know and understand." He walked out of the courtyard and down the hallway, followed closely behind by Bakura.

Trying to pretend he was not watching Yami's butt as the Pharaoh walked, Bakura asked, "And what would that be?" 

"Relaxing," Yami said, smiling faintly at Bakura over one shoulder, his eyes glinting with that faint teasing sparkle Bakura knew so well. "It has been a _long_ day, for both of us, I imagine." 

Two young and pretty servant girls pulled open the curtains that covered the entrance to a lushly decorated bathing chamber. Yami paused to remove his sandals, walking barefoot over the polished stone floor to what Bakura assumed was supposed to be the bathtub. Which looked to be more of a nice sized swimming pool. 

Bakura was struck dumb as the Pharaoh began to calmly undress, tossing his garments to one side as he slipped into the water. Frozen with shock, the thief could do nothing but stare and try not to drool.

Yami looked genuinely confused at Bakura's behavior. "Is there something the matter? Not in the mood for a bath?"

Finding his voice, trembling though it might be, Bakura muttered hastily, "Um, maybe I should just wait until you're done…?" 

Yami laughed. "No need to be so modest, we're both boys here, nothing to worry about."

_Nothing to worry about, he says._ Bakura figured he'd better do something, and quick, before his legs gave out and he made an even bigger fool of himself. As Yami occupied himself with bathing, Bakura chastised himself for being a complete wimp, pulling off his clothes and getting into the water as well.

For all the intimacy of the both of them naked and relaxing in a warm bath, Yami seemed oblivious. It wasn't all that odd a thing in the ancient world, which was the only era Yami's memory could recall at the moment. Bakura was having a far harder time at pretending such an occurrence was no big deal. 

He was starting to wonder if the situation he was in would classify the shadow realm as being more like heaven, or more like hell.  

***

Yugi was having a hard time falling asleep. So far their trip to Egypt was a total bust. They'd gotten to meet real live duel monsters, sure, but they'd been unable to help with getting Yami back. And Yugi didn't think Bakura was taking it very well.

Gently poking Seto in the side, Yugi whispered, "Seto? You awake?"

"No," said Seto. He opened an eye as Yugi started to shake him. "What's the matter, Yugi?" 

"I want to check on Bakura," Yugi said, snuggling up to his boyfriend. 

"Why?" asked Seto with a yawn.

"I'm worried about him," said Yugi.

"_Why?_" Seto asked again. He couldn't quite figure why Yugi cared so much for the tomb robber's well-being. Bakura certainly had never been nice to him, or any of them, really. 

"Please Seto?" Yugi pleaded. "I just wanna check on him."

"Alright, alright…" Kaiba muttered, stretching before getting out of the bed. Yugi hopped out of the bed as well, near running to the door and out into the hallway. Still sleepy, Seto trudge along behind.

A very sleepy Ryou opened the door when Yugi pounded on it. "Y-yugi? Something the matter? It's three in the morning…"

"Is Bakura in there?" Yugi asked. "We just wanted to check to be sure he's okay…"

"Yugi wanted to check," Seto clarified, trying to cover up another yawn. 

Ryou looked over his shoulder at the empty room, a little bewildered. "No, Bakura's not here… that's odd…"

"Not that odd," said Seto, following Yugi into the room. "We'll probably find him tomorrow morning, locked up in some Egyptian jail." 

Yugi found Bakura's knife on the floor, the blood on the blade still fresh. Swallowing, he tentatively picked the weapon up. "Or an Egyptian morgue…"  


	11. Home Again

Author's Note: Dude, look at all the lovely reviews! I've never gotten so many so quickly for a story before. Anyway, yet again I have some reviews I would like to make comments to.

To "review guy": Why is Yugi gay? Because this is a yaoi story and that happens to amuse me. And the whole reason I write this story is for my amusement. 

To Hakai Suru: You're right, I should give the Dark Magician a name. Now if only I could think of one for him. Shiroi's name means "white," I suppose I could do the obvious thing and name the Dark Magician Kuroi, meaning "black." But that's sorta lame, isn't it?

And to everyone else asking me what's going to happen to everyone… here's the next chapter! 

Home Again

Bakura had come to the conclusion that the Pharaoh was purposefully trying to drive him completely insane. Yami may have found their bath relaxing, but Bakura certainly had _not_. In fact, he'd been more stressed by the end of the bath than he had been to begin with. And Yami was oblivious. 

Night was coming by the time they'd dried off and gotten dressed again. Bakura massaged at his stiff shoulders, wanting nothing more than to go home that very instant. Okay, scratch that, he wanted _one_ thing more. And that one thing happened to be walking alongside him at the moment. 

He was momentarily distracted when they passed by a window, the curtains billowing slightly in the cooling breeze. The sun was setting over the city, casting a blood red glow over the streets and desert beyond. Yami paused when Bakura stopped, looking to see what had caught his companion's interest. 

"What's the matter?" Yami asked. The view was nothing new to him; he hardly took notice of it anymore.

"Come on," Bakura said, grabbing Yami's hand and taking off running down the hallway. Startled, Yami did his best to keep up, confused as to what had Bakura so excited. 

Bakura ran up stairs and through the halls, reaching the upper chambers and running out onto one of the balconies. The view was better from up here, the desert laid out forever, cast in brilliant reds and gold, like a sea of treasure no one could ever touch. 

Yami panted to catch his breath. "Ryou, what's the matter?"

"Shh," Bakura said with a grin. "You ever really look at it anymore? I always loved to watch the sun set over the city. The way the ruby and gold glitters over the city before fading to sapphire and ebony of night."

Yami hadn't ever seen it that way. But watching the sun set now, it was exactly as Bakura said. Curious now, Yami turned and watched the way the sun's dying light cast its colors over Bakura's face. 

Closing his eyes, Yami could see a different vision. A cramped room piled high with golden treasures, a ragged thief clinging to the sarcophagus of a king. Blood and gold gleaming in the light of a single torch, and a heartbroken boy whispered as the light began to fade.

"And I will find you again… in your next life…" 

"Yami?" Bakura asked, concerned over the strange expression on Yami's face. "What's the matter?"

Yami opened his eyes, blinking in confusion. The light of the setting sun was already fading, darkness falling over the city, the moon lighting the world in a faint imitation of its daytime counterpart. The images in Yami's head were fading as fast as the remnants of daylight.

"Nothing," Yami said, shaking his head as if to clear the confusing thoughts out of it. "I'm just tired." He turned away from the window, heading toward his bedchamber.

Bakura cast one last look at the night enshrouded city, then followed after the Pharaoh. 

"I'll just… find a comfortable corner to curl up in for the night," Bakura said as they reached Yami's room. "See you in the morning." 

Yami caught Bakura's hand as the thief turned to leave. His fingers traced over the work-roughed skin of Bakura's palm as he smiled gently at him. "Stay," Yami said. "I'd rather not wake and think all of this was a dream."

Yami was _definitely_ trying to drive him crazy, Bakura thought. "Are you sure about that?" Bakura asked. "Is there enough room?" 

Again, Bakura caught that teasing sparkle in Yami's eyes. "It's a big bed," Yami said gently, tugging Bakura into the room. 

**

Bakura didn't think he'd ever be getting to sleep that night. Yami had fallen asleep easily, and even now was curled up contentedly under the covers, his breathing soft and even in his slumber. Wide awake, with little hope of falling asleep at all, Bakura just watched the Pharaoh. 

Yami could look regal no matter what he was doing. Hesitantly, Bakura traced over the Pharaoh's features, very lightly as he was afraid to wake him. Yami smiled faintly in his sleep, but didn't wake. 

"I wonder if you'll remember any of this when we get back home," Bakura murmured softly. "You have the worst memory of anyone I've met, you know that?" Yami didn't so much as twitch in his sleep. "And you sleep like the dead. Ha ha, get it?" 

Being so close to Yami and not touching him was getting to be too much of a difficulty for Bakura. Praying the Pharaoh would not wake, Bakura moved a little closer to him and pressed a gentle kiss to Yami's soft lips. 

Making a faint noise in his sleep, Yami snuggled closer to Bakura, kissing him back faintly. Yami tasted so much better than Bakura had ever imagined. Bakura was smiling when he finally ended the kiss, a smile that Yami mirrored.

Cuddled up to Bakura now, Yami murmured contentedly in his sleep, "…ryou…" 

Sighing in deep frustration, Bakura grabbed a pillow and buried his face in it.

**

Shiroi was waiting in the courtyard when Yami and Bakura came down in the morning. "You guys sure you wanna go home?" the Blue Eyes asked. "A nice vacation in someplace tropical could be arranged. Bet you'd like Hawaii, or Jamaica…"

"Home," Bakura snarled at him. "Now." Bakura had slept like hell that night and was not in the mood for any of his guardian's incessant cheerfulness. 

"Eesh, touchy, aren't we?" Shiroi said with a pout. He made a flourishing bow before Yami. "An honor to meet you, mighty Pharaoh."

Yami bowed slight back. "I take it you are our 'ride,' as Ryou put it?"

"Ryou?" Shiroi asked. He looked over at Bakura, recognition dawning on his face. "Ohh, you mean him? Nah, he-"

"_Shiroi_," Bakura growled warningly. "Home." 

"Right, right…" Shiroi said with a sigh. He made a dismissive gesture, and the darkness and sapphire energy of the shadow realm rose up to engulf Yami and Bakura.

    


	12. Further Confusion

Author's note: I wasn't expecting this story to go on so long, but probably will only have a few more chapters to it. Or more, depending on how I feel. I really do have all those other stories I should be working on… and a somewhat neglected website to boot. Anyway, here are some answers to things from my reviews again.

To CharcoalCat: I actually love getting the questions, and commentary too, sometimes helps me with what to write for later chapters. Also I appreciate the suggestions for the Dark Magician's name. 

To Borath: Glad you like Shiroi so much, but as you can tell, he's taken already. Seems like everyone is a fan of our little Blue Eyes; I'm kind of surprised, actually. 

Further Confusion

When the world quit spinning, Bakura opened his eyes hesitantly. He relaxed when he found himself back in the hotel room, and not in any of those "tropical locations" Shiroi had been talking about. One never knew when dealing with that damn dragon.

And speaking of that damn dragon, Shiroi was calming lounging on the hotel room bed, flashing Bakura a teasing smile. Bakura shot him a glare, looking around for Yami. Yami wasn't there.

"Dummy," Shiroi said cheerfully, guessing as to who Bakura was looking for. "You left Yami's body in the hospital. That's where he is, not _here_." 

Feeling a little stupid, Bakura snapped, "Well where's everyone else? Ryou and Yugi and Seto? Ryou was here when I left."

"Oh, them," Shiroi said, boredly buffing his nails on his shirt. "At the moment I think they're running around franticly through the city trying to figure out where the hell you vanished to."

At that moment, the door was thrown open, and Bakura's hikari came running in and tackled Bakura to the floor. Bakura stared in shock at Ryou currently hugging him to the point of asphyxiation. 

"Never mind," Shiroi put in calmly, "they're here now. My mistake."

"Bakura, where have you been?" Ryou snapped when Bakura finally pushed the boy off him. "We've been searching for you all night! We found your knife and blood, we thought you were really hurt somewhere!" 

Bakura snorted, getting up off the floor and brushing himself off. "Yeah, like you care. You needn't have bothered anyway; I'm fine. Do you think I can't take care of myself? You didn't have to go _look_ for me."

"Hey, that's what I said," Kaiba put in, strolling into the room. "Your disappearance cost me a well earned night of undisturbed sleep."

"So?" Ryou demanded. "Where were you?!" 

"In the shadow realm, getting Yami's soul back," Bakura said. He gestured to Shiroi. "With a little help from a certain irritating dragon."

Shiroi made a face. "Yeah, let's see if I ever help _you _save your dearest love from the dark claws of a grim destiny again." 

Bakura glared at him. Seto and Ryou said nothing, having been momentarily stunned by a duel monster's presence in their hotel room. Shiroi winked at Kaiba, causing the billionaire to blush slightly. 

"Well," Shiroi said, getting up off the bed. "Yami will have woken up by now, and is probably wondering where the hell you all are. I suggest you hop on your plane and hightail it home before anything _else_ happens to your precious Pharaoh." 

Kaiba nodded, heading out of the room. "Yugi and I will be ready to go in ten minutes," he informed Ryou and Bakura. "I suggest both of you be ready by then as well, or we're leaving without you."

Ryou tossed his stuff in his suitcase quickly, closing it and running out of the room after Seto. Bakura picked up his knife off the table, cleaning the blood off it using the bed sheets.

"Oh, and one more thing!" Shiroi called after Bakura as the thief started to leave the room. When Bakura looked back, Shiroi grinned mischievously at him, winking. "I highly recommend, when you get back home, you try telling Yami the _truth_."

Bakura rolled his eyes as he closed the door behind him with a slam. "Yeah, right," he muttered darkly. "Like hell I will."

**

Yami awoke to whiteness. After a moment, he realized he was actually staring at the hospital ceiling. Bits and pieces of things came back to him; the car crash, being rushed to the hospital, the concerned conversations of his friends as they waited with him in the hospital. 

And he remembered Ryou… coming to see him in Ancient Egypt, or had it been the shadow realm? He remembered watching the sunset, and a warm body curled beside him in bed during the night. He shook his head slightly. Had all of that been a dream? A product of his injuries and whatever medications he'd been fed?

"Pharaoh Yami?" someone toward the foot of the bed asked.

Yami blinked, forcing himself into a sitting position with a little difficulty. The Dark Magician stood calmly before him, bowing to him in great respect.

"Am… I still dreaming?" Yami asked.

The Dark Magician shook his head. "This is not a dream. I suspect some introductions are in order. I am Hansha, your guardian and servant, mighty Pharaoh." 

Yami nodded slowly. "And… Ryou. With me in Egypt. Was that a dream?"

Again, Hansha shook his head. "That was not a dream either, but the shadow realm's representation of your memories of Egypt. You were meant to spend the rest of eternity there. However, the one you know as Ryou cares too much for you to allow you to exit this world for another." 

Ryou cared for him? Yami mused on it thoughtfully. It would explain a few things. The excited phone call from Ryou, the odd way Yugi had acted when he'd returned home from Seto's. Yugi had said… something about someone liking him. And Ryou had come to rescue him from the shadow realm.

"Where is Ryou?" Yami finally asked. "And everyone else? Yugi, Seto? Are they here?"

"They are on their way here," Hansha said. "They had to go to Egypt in order to reach you. The Millennium Items were destroyed when you died." He waved his staff, the Millennium Items appearing in the air before Yami, gently floating down to rest on the bed beside him. 

Yami touched the Millennium Puzzle, smiling faintly at it. He picked it up by the chain and put it around his neck, feeling better immediately. Next he picked up the Millennium Ring, his fingers tracing over the design almost lovingly.

"I should return this one to Bakura," Yami mused with a slight smile. "He probably misses it."

Hansha inclined his head in agreement, a small secretive smile playing about his lips. "He would most certainly appreciate that. I shall take my leave now… unless you have any more questions, perhaps?"

Yami looked up at the Dark Magician. "Y-yes… just one… how is it Ryou got to come to me in the shadow realm? Why not the others? Why not my hikari, or Bakura? Bakura certainly knows more of the ways of the shadow realm than the others."

That made Hansha smile. "Yes… why indeed would Ryou come, and not Bakura?" He made a slight bow of farewell, vanishing from sight. 

**

"Ryou," Bakura hissed, shaking his hikari awake. 

Ryou opened an eye grouchily, pouting sleeping at Bakura. "What? What's the matter?"

"When we get home and see Yami, you have to pretend it was you that went to get him in the shadow realm, and not me," Bakura said. 

Yawning slightly, Ryou asked, "Why?"

"Because he thinks it was you!" Bakura snapped. "You were the only one he could remember, so I sort of let him think… that I was you. And now you have to act like it was."

"Bakura, you know I am not very good at lying," Ryou said.

"You don't have to lie," Bakura said. "Just don't tell the truth. It's easy. Just pretend to be me pretending to be you." 

Ryou stretched slightly and gave Bakura an odd look. "How about I just be me and see how that works out?"

"Fine, whatever," Bakura said. "Just don't let him know I was the one who came into the shadow realm to get him. I don't want him to know." He got up and moved to the other side of the plane to look out the window, to see how close they were to home.

Wrapped in a blanket, Yugi went to sit beside Ryou. "Impossible, isn't he?"

Ryou nodded, letting out a frustrated sigh. "He's never going to admit how he feels for Yami. Not even under heavy torture."

Yugi snuggled up in his seat, watching Bakura thoughtfully. "Well, maybe you just have to use a different sort of torture." 

** 

"Remember," Bakura muttered to Ryou as they walked down the hospital hallway to go see Yami, "it was you, not me, that went to haul the Pharaoh's butt out of the shadow realm."

"I know, I know!" Ryou said in exasperation. "We've been over this a million times. You don't want Yami to know you care even the slightest iota for him, so you're going to be a coward and pretend it's actually me. And I keep telling you, this is a bad idea."

"Just do what I told you," Bakura snapped at him. 

Yami smiled as Ryou and Bakura came into his room. Yugi and Kaiba had been by earlier, but after Seto had gotten a call from Mokuba- something having to do with the washing machine being on fire- they had both excused themselves and hurried home. 

"I was starting to think you two weren't coming by to see me," Yami said, smiling. "Oh, Bakura, I have something for you."

Bakura blinked as Yami handed him the Millennium Ring. "You sure you want to give this to me? You know the kind of damage I'll be causing with it."

Yami smiled at him. "I know. But it feels proper for you to have it." 

"Oh." Still a little off guard, he held the Ring tightly, feeling the cool metal and the heat of power coursing through it. He felt better to have his treasure in his hands again. Even if he couldn't have Yami… he still had this. 

Yami cleared his throat a little awkwardly. "Bakura… do you mind if I talk to Ryou for a moment? Alone?"

Bakura blinked at him, then nodded slowly, shooting Ryou a warning glance before walking out of the room, the heavy door slamming loudly closed behind him. 

Ryou shifted nervously from foot to foot. Yami's searching crimson gaze sort of unnerved him. He didn't know how long he'd be able to keep this lie up.

"Ryou," Yami finally said slowly. "I wanted to thank you, for coming to get me in the shadow realm. It means a lot to me."

Ryou laughed nervously and shrugged. "No problem, really. We're all really glad to have you back."

Yami nodded, lowering his gaze slightly as he tried to think of what to say next. Being a pharaoh hadn't ever really prepared him for a situation like _this_. His gaze focused on Ryou's pale hand, fidgeting on the hem of his shirt.

Curiously, Yami reached out to take Ryou's hand, running his fingers over the palm. Ryou giggled a little; Yami's touch tickled.

"What is it?" Ryou asked.

Yami let go of Ryou's hand, smiling up at him warmly. "Nothing. You just have very soft hands." 

Bakura was pacing the hospital hallway in agitation. What in the name of Hell was taking his hikari so long? The longer Ryou spent in there, the more likely he was to crack and spill everything. Maybe Ryou was right. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. 

Finally unable to stand it any longer, Bakura went to peek through the window into Yami's room. 

A shiver passed through Bakura as his blood turned to ice water in his veins. Unable to breathe, or think, all he could do was stare through the window in horror. Yami was kissing Ryou.

Choking back a sob, Bakura threw his Millennium Ring to the floor and ran.   


	13. Sunsets

Author's notes: Oh yeah, I am just _evil_, aren't I?

Okay. It will require much trusting of me by you if we are to make it through these difficult, upsetting times. I promised in an earlier chapter that Bakura would be getting some loving, and he will. Just… not at the moment. But as hard as this is to believe, I do know what I'm doing.

Sunsets

"Bakura?" Ryou called as he entered his house, clutching the Millennium Ring in one hand. "Where are you? You left this at the hospital…" 

He found Bakura standing in Ryou's room, a pair of scissors in one hand, and the mangled, shredded remains of the bed sheets in the other hand.

Ryou stared in horror at the pitiful remains of his bed. "Bakura! What did you do?!"

Bakura tossed the scissors to the side, hard enough that they stuck point-first into the wall. "Ryou…" he said slowly, "I am going to KILL YOU!" 

Ryou shrieked and ran for his life as Bakura leapt at him with a murderous look on his face, the thief chasing him all the way down the stairs before he finally managed to pin Ryou against the living room wall.

"What?!" Ryou yelped, struggling in Bakura's grip. "What'd I do?! Let me go!"

"All I said," Bakura growled, "was that you should pretend you got Yami out of the shadow realm. I did _not_ say you should go and kiss him!"

"He kissed me!" Ryou shot back, still struggling. "And it's not my fault anyway! If you'd just told Yami the truth, _you_ would have been the one in there getting kissed! I told you it was a bad idea from the start!"

Bakura blinked, his grip on Ryou loosening. Ryou took that opportunity to wriggle out of the thief's grip, pushing his yami back a few feet.

"You're so stubborn!" Ryou continued lecturing his darker half. "If you don't tell Yami you like him, someone else is going to come along and take him." He smiled a little sweetly, teasing. "As it is, I might just do that. Yami is a mighty fine kisser, after all…" 

"I thought you were supposed to be the _innocent_ one of us," Bakura snarled at him.

Ryou shrugged, smiling. "Guess you're just a bad influence on me." There was a knock on the door, interrupting Bakura's next impending fit of rage. "Oh!" Ryou said, heading to answer the door. "That must be Yami. He said he'd be coming over once they let him out of the hospital…"   

"Oh no you don't!" Bakura tackled Ryou, dragging him to the hall closet and shoving him inside. He wedged a chair under the doorknob to keep it closed.

"HEY!" Ryou yelled, pounding on the door. "What are you doing?!" 

"If Yami likes _you_ so much now," Bakura said, straightening his hair a little so it looked more like Ryou's, "then I'll just have to be you." Putting on his best 'sweet and innocent' face, Bakura went and answered the door.

Yami smiled up at Bakura from his seat in a wheelchair, as his legs were still broken from the car crash. "Hello Ryou. Is Bakura home? I sort of wanted to talk to him, he left so quickly at the hospital…"

Bakura blinked. Yami wanted to speak to _him_ now? Would the Pharaoh never make up his mind? Slowly, he shook his head. "Sorry, he's not around at the moment…"

Yami nodded. "Ah well. Perhaps I can speak to him later." He reached out to take Bakura's hand, lightly tugging him out and smiling warmly at him. "Come with me. There's something I want to show you." 

Bakura helped with pushing Yami's wheelchair to the park, all the while wondering why they were going there. Yami said only that it was a surprise, and wouldn't tell him any more than that.

"Up there," Yami said, pointing to the top of a grassy hill in the park. Bakura pushed the wheelchair up the hill, then stared in awe at the view. 

The sun was just starting to set over the city, painting it in those majestic reds and golden colors he loved so much. The mirrored windows of skyscrapers gleamed brilliantly, sparkling like gems among the smaller buildings. 

"Wow…" Bakura murmured.

Yami smiled softly. "I thought you might like this. You shared a shadow realm sunset with me, I thought the least I could do was return the favor." 

The two were silent, up on that hill, as they watched the sky turn from vivid red and gold, to softer pinks and orange, before it finally turned to the warm sapphire of night. Eventually they started to get cold, and Bakura helped push Yami's wheelchair back home. 

"Ryou," Yami said quietly as they headed down the empty streets, "has Bakura ever told you… how he died?" 

A little startled by the question, Bakura swallowed and nodded. "Y-yes… he told me." 

"It's just something I've been wondering recently…" Yami murmured. "How did it happen?"

"He killed himself," Bakura said, a little bleakly. 

"Why did he do that?" Yami asked, his voice soft and gentle.

Bakura sighed. "Because the one he loved was dead." 

Yami nodded slightly. "So he followed them into death… Kind of romantic, when you think about it. One would hardly expect such a thing from someone like Bakura. Did he ever find his love again?"

Lying easily, as it was second nature to him, Bakura answered, "I don't know."

They were silent most of the rest of the way to Yami's house. Finally, when they reached it, Yami commented, "I think Yugi is at Seto's house tonight… would you mind helping me get this wheelchair up the stairs?" 

Without too much trouble, Bakura carried the wheelchair up onto the porch, wheeling it inside once Yami had unlocked the door. It was too much trouble to get the wheelchair up to the second floor where the bedrooms were, so Bakura and Yami set up a bed for Yami on the couch in the living room. 

Once Yami was settled on his makeshift bed, he gestured Bakura a little closer. When Bakura moved to do as he was bid, Yami leaned up to give him a quick kiss, his crimson eyes lit with warm affection.

"Thanks for watching the sun set with me," Yami murmured. "Goodnight, Ryou."

Smiling softly, a little sadly, back at Yami, Bakura nodded and moved to leave. "Goodnight, Yami." He closed the front door behind him as he left, then just leaned with his back against it, staring out into the darkened, empty street. "Goodnight…"  


	14. Something Unsaid

Author's note: Okay, I'm sorta running out of steam on this story now. I might be finishing this story soon, or I might be dropping it. But here's the next chapter, a day late, but here nonetheless. 

Something Unsaid

The depths of the night found Bakura still wide-awake, staring up at the ceiling thinking. He and Yami had been spending increasingly more time together over the past few weeks. Which was a good thing, considering Ryou was still pissed at Bakura for locking him in the closet, so the more time the fiend was out of the house, the better. 

Winter break had ended, causing a little problem for Bakura once everyone started attending school again. When Bakura was alone with Yami, he still pretended to be Ryou. But when both Bakura and Ryou were at school together, Bakura was forced to be himself. The risk of the secret being discovered with so many people around was too great. Bakura had finally had to resort to blackmail to get Ryou to keep up the charade with Yami during school hours. 

"Really wish you wouldn't keep making me go off with Yami during breaks and lunch," Ryou commented one day upon returning home after school with Bakura. "Because I'm really starting to like it. I never quite realized how romantic the Pharaoh could be." He pulled a pale pink rose out of his hair, holding it out to show Bakura. "See what he gave me today?" 

Without a comment, Bakura brushed past Ryou, snatching the flower out of his hand, plucking the petals off one by one and tossing the stem back at Ryou. Ryou pouted at his destroyed present, sighing slighting and going to pick the petals off the floor. 

It was better for Bakura after school. It was then that _he_ could spend time with Yami, not Ryou. Whenever the weather was clear, Yami and Bakura would go to the park to watch the sun set. Nothing much was ever said, but Bakura couldn't remember a time when he'd been happier than when he and Yami sat on the grass, close together and warmed by each others' presence, watching the daylight fade. 

Often afterward, when the sky was dark and cold and twinkling with stars, Yami would turn and smile at Bakura, taking his hand, his ruby eyes warm and affectionate, and the Pharaoh would gently pull the thief closer for a soft, tender kiss. 

And still, Bakura never told Yami how much he cared for him. Sometimes he even thought he saw glimpses of frustration in Yami's eyes, but it never lasted, and Bakura would usually decide he'd just imagined it. 

Weekends were good too, when there was no school and Yugi was off at Seto's house as he usually was, Bakura would come over to see Yami and play Duel Monsters. Yami loved the game, but it always seemed like he had to play it when something was at stake; the lives of people he cared for, his puzzle, or the world. He was delighted to play with Bakura when there was nothing to gain or lose, just playing for the enjoyment of the game. Bakura similarly found the experience refreshing, when he wasn't playing the game for greed.

Yami still almost always won. Sometimes Bakura did; he got the feeling that Yami let him win though, just to keep things a little more fair. What fun was it being the King of Games if you won all the time, until the point when no one wanted to play with you? 

So the newfound relationship had its ups and downs. Sometimes it was stressful for Bakura to pretend to be Ryou all the time. His hikari was just so sweet and tenderhearted; it often grated on Bakura to act like something he definitely was not. But Yami seemed to like the gentle innocence, so Bakura kept up the act no matter how he hated it. 

**

"If I thought it would help, I'd kill Yami again," Shiroi grumbled one day, watching Bakura and Yami through the mirror that served as the guardians' window into the real world. 

Hansha sighed softly, touching the Blue Eyes lightly on the shoulder. "I really think him dying twice already was enough, darling. And you know, as his guardian, I really couldn't allow you to do that anyway." 

Shiroi frowned and folded his arms. "But look at them! They're taking forever! We've been working on this set up for centuries and they haven't so much as screwed yet!"

The Dark Magician smiled faintly. "If we've waited 5,000 years, I don't think a few more months will really make that much of a difference. You Blue Eyes White Dragons are always so impatient."

Shiroi shot Hansha an irritated look. "_I _don't think they'll ever be getting together at this rate. Bakura doesn't even listen to me! I tell him to just tell Yami the truth, and what does he do? The exact opposite! Maybe I'll just strike _him_ dead instead." 

"I think perhaps you are getting a little too worked up over this," Hansha said softly, pulling Shiroi away from the mirror and into a loving embrace. "Perhaps we should set work aside for the day, and go do something… fun?" 

Immediately brightening at that suggestion, Shiroi swept Hansha up into his arms and carried him toward the bedchamber. Hansha laughed lightly, rolling his eyes at his lover's eagerness.

"And afterward," Hansha added as an afterthought, "I really must think of how to punish you for flirting with Seto Kaiba."

"All I did was wink at him!" Shiroi protested. 

Hansha poked the tip of Shiroi's nose. "All the same, it appears I must once again teach you that you needn't go picking up mortals when you've got me waiting here at home." He smiled. "You'll like this punishment anyway."

Shiroi smiled back at him. "I know. I always do."    


	15. Wait For It

Wait For It

"So what are everyone's plans for the weekend?" Joey asked at the lunch table one Friday during school. 

Yugi smiled cutely (like he ever smiled any other way?). "I was going over to Seto's tomorrow. We were going to test the new game he made for his virtual reality pods. It looks like it's going to be really cool."

Yami sighed. "So you'll be gone all of _this_ weekend as well?" 

"Yeah, jeez Yug, leaving Yami all alone for, what, the bazillionth weekend in a row?" Joey put in, spearing his dessert with his fork and managing to stuff the whole thing in his mouth at once.

Shrugging and smiling, Yami said, "Oh, I won't be all alone this weekend." He cast a tender look at Ryou, teasing amusement in his eyes. "So long as you'd like to come over for a sleepover, perhaps?"

Ryou flushed sweetly, coyly lowering his gaze. "I'd love to."

"Yuck, you guys, none of that mushy crap while we're eating!" Joey said, spraying a few crumbs of food from his mouth. "Gonna make me sick to my stomach." 

Bakura just glared at everyone and everything within fifteen feet of him, wiping a few of Joey's food crumbs from his cheek. "If you continue to spit food at me, I shall turn your stomach _inside out_." 

Joey glared at him. "Lighten up, eesh."

"He's probably just upset that he'll be the one all alone this weekend," Yugi said sympathetically. "Maybe you could hang out with him this weekend, Joey?" 

"Save your tender hearted suggestions, Yugi," Bakura growled, getting up and tossing his uneaten lunch into the trash. "I'd rather be alone this weekend anyway." He walked away without so much as a goodbye. 

Yami and Ryou both watched him go, exchanging glances with one another of which the meaning was lost to everyone else. The mood at the lunch table was less tense once Bakura had left, but Ryou and Yami both sat through it in a slightly uncomfortable silence. 

**

"Aw come on, Bakura!" Ryou pleaded, following his yami into the house. "When I agreed to go, I hadn't actually meant to _go_. I said yes for you! So _you_ could go spend the weekend with Yami!" 

"I said I wanted to be alone this weekend, and I meant it!" Bakura snapped back at him. "I don't need any favors from you! Go spend the night at Yami's, see if I even care!" 

The truth was, he was sick of the damn charade. After the past few months, he was worn out from forever pretending to be someone else. If Yami liked Ryou so much then he… well, he could just have Ryou then. Bakura was tired of trying to slow the inevitable. 

"You don't mean that," Ryou said, sitting down on the couch and looking pleadingly at Bakura. "I saw how cranky you got when he invited me over; I know you wish it was you he'd asked."

"Yeah, well he _didn't_ ask me, now did he? He never asks me! He asks YOU! He likes _you_, not me, he doesn't even know about me!" 

"Then let him know," Ryou said. "You have to tell him sometime. What, are you going to let another 5,000 years go by before you say anything? Maybe if you just quit lying about it, things would be different."

Bakura folded his arms. "I am not going." 

Frustrated anger flashed in Ryou's eyes, an expression Bakura had never seen on his sweet, calm hikari. "Oh yes you will!" Ryou shouted at his yami. "You can be a damn cowardly liar all you want to be, but I am TIRED of having to lie for you too! You're going to tell Yami the truth this weekend, or _I will do it for you!_" 

Bakura stared at his hikari. It appeared he'd finally pushed Ryou a little too far. "Maybe you're right," he said tiredly. "Maybe this has gone on long enough."

Ryou was left staring at Bakura's back as the thief left the room, momentarily stunned speechless that Bakura had actually admitted to being wrong. Well, not in so many words, but it was close enough. He relaxed back onto the soft couch cushions, smiling faintly. It was going to be another nice, quiet weekend to himself. He was looking forward to it.

**

It rained all of Saturday. Bakura and Yami spent the day holed up in the house, playing Duel Monsters and cuddling on the couch watching videos. Seto had given Yami a video tape of "_The Mummy Returns_" since the Pharaoh had liked it so much, and Bakura had to admit, he felt sort of sorry for the mummy in the end as well. 

After the movie they just curled up on the couch and talked. Yami talked of things in Ancient Egypt, and though Bakura already knew most of it already, he had a great time just listening to the sound of Yami's voice. 

It eventually got late, and they got tired, forgoing the trip upstairs to the bedroom and just settling comfortably under a heap of blankets on the couch. Yami, being somewhat shorter, rested his head on Bakura's chest, wrapping his arms around the fiend as he drifted toward sleep. 

Bakura, as usual, didn't have such an easy time of it. Things Ryou had told him kept running through his head. He didn't want to be a coward. He _ought_ to tell Yami how he felt, if only to get it out. With Yami curled against him and half asleep, Bakura finally worked up as much courage as he could manage.

"Yami?" he said softly in the dark, to make sure the Pharaoh was still awake.

"Hmm?" Yami hummed back in reply, shifting a little so he could look up at Bakura with half-lidded crimson eyes. 

Bakura took a long breath. _Now or never, Bakura…_ "…I… love you, Yami…" 

A slow smile curved lazily over Yami's lips. "I love you too, Bakura." 

Bakura froze. _Bakura? Had Yami really called him Bakura?_ Finding his voice a little hoarse, he whispered, "What… did you say?"

Yami lifted himself up so he could grin down mischievously at the thief. "You didn't honestly think I wouldn't figure it out, did you?" 

Bakura could do nothing but stare up at the Pharaoh. "Wh-when? When did you know?"

"Ever since you and Ryou came to see me in the hospital," Yami said. He took Bakura's hand, tracing over the pattern of calluses and toughened skin. "You and your hikari may look identical, but Ryou's hands are much softer than yours." His voice was gently tender. "That's when I knew it was you who came for me in the shadow realm… not Ryou." 

Bakura had to force a swallow past the lump in his throat. "But… all the time you spent with Ryou at school? The presents you gave him? I saw you kiss him at the hospital…"

Yami smirked, that teasing glint shining brightly in his eyes. "All to make you jealous. Ryou said you had to be tortured into telling me the truth." He ran a soft caress down Bakura's cheek. "That's why I never told you I knew. I was waiting for you to tell me. Took you long enough, too."

Bakura just stared at Yami, unable to think of a single thing to say. Yami had known all along… and had only been waiting for Bakura to stop pretending. It seemed as though he'd been the one played for the fool this time… by his tricky little hikari and his infuriating beloved Pharaoh.

"So," Yami murmured low and sweetly to Bakura, "what are you going to do now?"

Bakura's answering grin was feral, as he pushed up and twisted so that he managed to pin Yami beneath him. "Be myself." And he pressed his lips to Yami's in a rough, passionate, and utterly delicious kiss.   
  
**  
  
Hansha and Shiroi watched with increasing amusement over the two through the shimmering window of their mirror. Hansha smirked a little as he watched Yami reassert control over the thief, once again pinning Bakura beneath him.

"Man," Shiroi commented, "I didn't know anyone other than you could take clothing off that fast."

Hansha smirked. "It appears Yami is going to be the one on top."

"Mmhmm," Shiroi murmured faintly, casting a sideways glance at his lover.

The Dark Magician folded his arms. "Say it."

"Say what?" Shiroi asked, laughing nervously.

"You know," Hansha said.

"Alright, alright, I give," Shiroi said with a sigh. "You win; you get to be on top tonight."

Hansha smirked. "And you have to dress as the Dark Magician Girl."

"Awww," Shiroi groaned. "I thought you'd forgotten that part of the bet."

The Dark Magician smiled. "You must be joking; that's my favorite part of our little wager." 

"Okayy…" Shiroi relented. "But I want to watch these two finish up first." 

Hansha grabbed a fistful of the Blue Eyes White Dragon's collar, calmly dragging him away from the mirror. "Allow them a little privacy. There will be plenty of opportunities to watch them later." 

Shiroi smirked, casting one last glance at the image of the two going at it in the mirror. Bet Bakura regretted not listening to him earlier now. They could have gotten to the good part much quicker. 

But as much as he wanted to watch Yami and Bakura screwing, it seemed his own lover was a little impatient to get some. The Dark Magician dragged his Blue Eyes into the bedroom, the door slamming shut behind them, and all was well in the shadow realm.

**

Author's note: Um, and they all lived happily ever after, and all that! There! I'm done. There may be sequels if you beg me and offer me presents and bribes, but until then, see y'all, love muchness, hope you all liked the story!     


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